Maya's POV
"Who sent these texts?" I demand, waving my phone at Richard. "One says Sophie is betraying me. Another says Derek is a traitor. Which one is lying?"
"Both," Richard says tiredly. "James is sending fake messages. He wants you paranoid and isolated."
"How do you know?" Ethan asks suspiciously.
"Because he told me his plan. Make Maya distrust everyone. Then she's easier to kill."
I immediately call Sophie. Her roommate answers. "Sophie's here watching Netflix. Want to talk to her?"
When Sophie's confused voice comes through, relief washes over me. "Maya? What's happening?"
"Nothing. Talk later." I hang up and face Richard. "Tell me everything about Mom's death. Now."
Richard pulls out an old box filled with newspaper clippings and faded photos. "Your mother worked as James Walsh's secretary. She discovered his crimes—bribery, blackmail, murder. She was going to expose him."
"So he killed her," I say flatly.
